Log Cabin Rental Business Startup – Cabinstartup.com – DIY Log home.http://www.cabinstartup.com
Young couple’s attempt at getting into the rental business by building a log cabin themselves. Learn from their lessons on building and renting a log home.Fri, 02 Dec 2011 21:36:08 +0000en-UShourly1So Did You Ever Finish?http://www.cabinstartup.com/so-did-you-ever-finish/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/so-did-you-ever-finish/#commentsFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:34:33 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=433

One of the first questions I almost always get asked about our log cabin project is which kit did you choose? This question usually comes from someone who has looked into building a log home at one point and been exposed to all the "kit marketing". The follow up question, after I tell them that I only bought logs, is do you know how to cut the logs and do all that stuff? The really amazing part about all of this is that a majority of log cabin kits on the market have to be cut on-site. You won't read that on too many log home sales brochures or plans. What you may see is something like "random length logs". This means the log company will send you enough linear feet of logs so you or your builder can make them resemble the log home plan you've been carrying around at lunch. Is that really a kit? Maybe, but more likely not.

Log Home Kits Are Not Bad

The concept of a log cabin kit serves a great purpose. Kits allow log home suppliers a nice way to put a reasonable price on a dream. If a log home salesman were to bore you with all the details of what actually went into building a log home, most people would run for the door. When planning to build a cabin, it is very easy to get information overload sickness (I've had it a few times!). Looking at kits usually prevents this from happening and allows the buyer to focus on much more appealing topics such as cabinets and counter-tops. In a kit, decisions such as log fasteners and sealants are already made and even estimated. I enjoyed this aspect of kit shopping, but it came at a premium I was not willing to pay.

All Log Cabin Kits Are Different

While a lot of websites and handouts will have fantastic pictures of finished log homes, the kit may only be a small part of completing that picture. To put this in clear terms; all log home kits are not created equal. What is included in a kit depends on the log suppliers definition of a kit and, as I found, varies greatly. This is where the kit concept begins to falls apart and the buyer must now begin the daunting task of trying to figure out what's included and what is not. Most kits include the materials to build interior walls to some extent, but there are several out there that do not. I was not surprised to discover the roof system is usually not included in the base kit, but often times offered as an option. Even the most expensive kits rarely included windows and doors because buyer options are vast and design tastes differ. The cost of these items are usually pretty substantial and often the log kit supplier will point these out. However,what is not so clear, are items such as stains, hardware, exterior trim, fasteners, sealants and various other pieces that may seem minor at first glance. The truth is, these items together can easily exceed the cost of the log home kit itself. It's not hard to wrap up $5,000 - $10,000 on stain to protect a log home.

Kit This, Package That, But Why?

It was during the process of trying to compare the minor parts and pieces of each kit, that I decided it was a complete waste of time (after months of trying!). The kits I had been looking at still needed cost estimates for interior walls, roofing system, windows and doors. So what did that actually leave? The answer was simple; exterior log walls! This fact pretty much sealed the deal for me . From that moment, I made the decision to put together my own log home kit, I was able to stop spinning my wheels and move forward. No question about it, a kit has its purpose, but I want to encourage people to follow similar steps as if building a conventional home. Pick a reasonable log cabin plan, find a good builder and listen to what they have to say, and THEN start selecting materials. Following this path will save a lot of time, money and aggravation!

Basement Foundations

A basement foundation would have been great for installing mechanicals (HVAC, well pump, etc.), but no bones about it, this would have been the most expensive option. If you think about it, a basement is pretty much a concrete slab foundation (basement floor) combined with an extended crawl space foundation (concrete walls with a wooden subfloor). It is often said a basement is the cheapest space to build when building a house. I don't necessarily agree or disagree with that statement, but want to point out each situation is different and should be evaluated. There is so much more to building a basement than just pouring some concrete walls and calling it a basement. Special care needs to be taken to waterproof this area, especially if it is to be used as living space. When I built my personal residence, I spent over $2000 on products such as Volclay Panels and Dryloc to ensure the basement was waterproof. There was just no way to justify all the additional cost of a basement foundation for a rental Log Cabin. And don't forget the ongoing cost of heating and cooling the additional space that would probably never be remodeled anyways. Just not a good choice for the cabin.

Crawl Space Foundation

This option did not stay on the table very long because of previous experiences I've had working in crawl spaces. I have to say, laying on my back in a mud puddle on a cold January day, working on a waterline is NOT my idea of fun. However, I would almost choose the winter over the summer to do that work because of all the bugs and spiders that like to hide in the crawl space. It sure is hard to tell the good spiders (wolf spiders) apart from the bad (Brown Recluse) while crawling on your belly with a flashlight! Bugs aside, the crawl space foundation was the cheapest way to go. And it would have allowed me to change things around some, if I needed to down the road. However, the cost difference between a crawl space foundation and a concrete slab was around $1500, according to my estimate (see cost estimates - PDF or Excel) and just was not enough difference to look past my dislike for this foundation type.

Concrete Slab Foundation

As with the other options, the concrete slab foundation has it's pros and cons, but overall I think it will be the best choice for a rental cabin. I really like the idea of not worrying too much about termites or rot, and with the drainage tile installed, water should not be a problem. A slab is pretty much indestructable, which is a great thing considering I'll never really be sure what type of person I rented to until they are gone! Going with a slab foundation requires all the main plumbing to be mapped out before the floor is poured, but I pretty much had that already done. Building on a concrete slab will also give me a little more piece of mind about the weight of the cabin itself. Even thought I visited serveral cabins with double rim joist, I was always a little nervous about the load put upon them. In general, a concrete slab foundation should result in lower maintenance. I have a feeling one of the keys to running a successful cabin rental business will include doing all I can do reduce maintenance.]]>http://www.cabinstartup.com/foundation-type-which-one-slab-crawl-space-or-basement/feed/4Selecting A Log Supplier! What to look for?http://www.cabinstartup.com/selecting-a-log-supplier-what-to-look-for/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/selecting-a-log-supplier-what-to-look-for/#commentsSat, 19 Sep 2009 12:00:12 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=291

Different suppliers

Choosing a log suppler is probably one of the most important decisions to be made when building a log cabin. And in a strange way, I was lucky to read some really terrible stories early on about purchasing log packages that scared me to death! The realization that it's possible to end up with nothing and be out a ton of cash is down right sobering. I don't want to spend too much time talking about the indicators I use when trying to decide if a business is reputable or not, but more time spent discussing how to find the best value when it comes to log suppliers. Since my cabin and 80% of log cabins being built these days use milled logs, I will focus on them.

Log Cabin Kits

Kits are good and bad. I liked looking at log cabin kits for their floor plans and their material list, but kits vary greatly, so it is hard to compare apples to apples. I spent a better part of a year trying to track down the best value log cabin kit without any luck. I would spend hours pouring over material lists and even created several spreadsheets trying to simplify the process. In the end I think this exercrise taught me a good deal about what may be needed to build a log cabin and that a kit, in general was just a marketing tool usually resulting in a higher price. So for me, kits were not a good value.

Sawmill Selection: Deal Directly With The Mill

There are many log suppliers out there, but I tried to focus on dealing directly with the ones that owned their own mill. These suppliers usually offered the best price, but not always a better value for me. Since I am new to building with logs, I had a lot of questions and a majority of mills did not want to mess with a DIY guy like me. This made my search much harder and I have a feeling if your reading this blog, you're in a similar situation.

Good quality and bad quality cabin logs

When speaking to log suppliers I always asked if I could swing by and see the mill, even if I had no intention of doing so. This seemed to be a nice way of finding out who really owned the mill and to gauge to what extent the person I was talking with knew the milling operation. I found that most mill owners took great pride in their operation and really seemed to know what it took to produce a quality milled log. They could tell you every detail about the logs and enjoyed teaching about their process.
I figured finding a supplier would be easy, but what I found was so many different schools of thought on logs it was overwhelming. It seemed like the more I dug into log suppliers the more questions I would have. This lead me to realize that, like many things in life, there are all sorts of solutions to the same problem and I needed to come up with some general guidelines to follow and move on. Your situation maybe different, but listed below are the ones I generally followed.

Guidelines regarding log source:

-Mill owners seem to generally have better knowledge of logs; stick with them.
-A mill you can visit and tour.
-Mill operator\owner that has experience building log homes - not just milling logs!
-A company that owns the mill and understands the process from tree harvest to delivery truck.
-A company that has a good packing and wrapping system - takes a bit to built a home and they need covered.
-Price - Beware of cheap logs!
-A company that uses kerf cuts - Controls cracking (checking) and dries better.
-Log species, Log Design and Fastening system.
-Heart logs made from a good species that is rot resistance.
-A milled log that has a decent seal and T&G system.
-Support - DIY'ers lifeline.

Poor Quality Logs

A word of caution...try looking at ALL the criterion, not just focusing on one, such as price. Like most people I am a complete sucker for a good deal. So when I tracked down a sawmill that was willing to sell me 6"x8"x8' machined D-logs for $20 each, I started reaching for my checkbook. WRONG! Thank goodness I had to wait a day before I could get over to the mill and by that time I was a little more settled. The sawmill owner\operator was not trying to take advantage, I think he genuinuly did not understand log home construction. Like most small business these days, he is searching for new markets and jumped head first into the log home business when a good deal on a mill machine came around. Actually he was one of the more honest operators I have ever met, but again he just did not have the experience.
So, who did I track down as the ideal company for me to deal with?

Allpine Lumber

WOW! Opening The Log Package

Allpine Lumber is a family-owned and operated mill located in Colorado. They have an intimate knowledge of the industry, as we discussed above, from tree harvest, milling, drying, preparation and delivery. AND they had my coveted plus, experience in building log cabins. They were and are truly wonderful to work with. They have been patient and understanding with my slow-as-molasses DIY building schedule, pleasant to talk with, and so knowledgable. As a matter of fact, my wife and I just unwrapped a bunk of their logs tonight as we were building, and they just make you stop and look at them. You can't help it, the logs are beautiful! I can't wait to get this baby put together.
Well, this article has gone far past the length I like to keep them at, but there really is so much to think about and consider with this type of investment in your logs. I plan on posting more related articles and provide greater detail on topics such as:
--Log species
--Fastening systems
--Air dried vs. kiln dried logs
--Sealant systems
--Corner systems]]>http://www.cabinstartup.com/selecting-a-log-supplier-what-to-look-for/feed/1Drainage Tile For a Slab Foundation?http://www.cabinstartup.com/drain-tile-for-on-a-slab-foundation/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/drain-tile-for-on-a-slab-foundation/#respondThu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:20 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=336

Basement and Forms

Now that the block is done I could start getting the concrete slab ready to pour. I still needed to rough in the plumbing and fill the slab with gravel which will take some time, but I began to wonder about drainage tile. When building the basement for our home six years ago, we went out of our way to ensure water stays out. But what about on a slab foundation? After some research on the subject, I came to the conclusion it would be cheap insurance considering water and wood don't mix well and I am building a log cabin.
Drain tile has a pretty straight forward goal of trying to keep ground water away from the building. It is nothing more than a pipe (usually 4" diameter) that has holes or slots cut into it that gets buried around and below the grade of the slab. The pipe is then covered with "clean" (no dust) gravel and is also covered with some type of landscape material to keep mud from clogging the pipe. The ends of the pipe are trenched out and away from the foundation, usually towards lower lying areas.

Tile Installation

Drainage tile by hand

I chose to only put tile on three sides of the foundation as it sits on a slight hill and the back of the cabin should naturally shed water. Since my footings were still exposed from doing the block, I placed the pipe on top of the footings. This was well below the slab floor and should do a good job of keeping the water at bay. I still had to pay attention to grade as standing water is never good. Once the pipe was down I covered the pipe with the landscape material to keep out fine particles that could clog the slots. After this was done, "clean" gravel was applied almost up to grade as I plan to back fill and build up around the foundation some.

Drain tile done

Up to this point most of the work involved laying out pipe and running the tractor (gravel), but now I needed to trench in the tile exit points. Word of advice; don't do what I did, please rent a trencher. I spent almost two days (ok evenings after work) digging the last 10 feet of each tile! While it was a great workout, digging a four foot deep trench by hand is not fun!

Log Package Arrives!

WOW! Logs are delivered to the cabin site.

It's hard to believe that after two long years of researching there is a log package over in the south field waiting for my attention. When I ordered the logs a couple of month ago, I never dreamed it would turn out to be the 6th wettest spring in Illinois recorded history! This put a slight damper on my plans, but it actually worked out best with all the events going on with the family.

Foundation Walls are Done

The foundation walls were completed in a couple of days without any major events. I did have one minor one. I completely forgot to allocate space in the walls for all of the mechanicals to pass through (septic, water, etc.). Not a huge deal, but this would have been much easier to deal with while the brick was being laid then to drill these in later. Nasty work drilling concrete.

Block work has been completed!

As I mentioned in another post, hiring out the block for me was money well spent. In the end, I spent $1274.00 to have around 630 blocks laid. This breaks down to around $2 dollars per block. I really can't complain about that, but I did notice the foundation is a little out of square. I guess I am partially to blame for this as I think they used the string lines that were used to rough in the footings. These lines and the battens were knocked around a bit during the digging process but all I needed was a rough idea for the footings, nothing too precise was needed. I should of doubled checked. This is going to cause me some headaches down the road.

A couple of days ago while doing some back grading with my tractor I managed to bend two hydraulic cylinders on the front-end loader. I heard a loud pop and knew something was wrong but really did not notice a problem until I tried to go back to work and the bucket would not go down! Oh No!
How could this happen? In two days a semi will be showing up with our log package! How are we going to move things around? This could not have happened at a worst time. After I got over the shock of the damage, I settled down a bit and phoned the dealer to get replacement parts. To my surprise, each cylinder was $650 plus shipping and it would take several weeks to get here! Not good.
I immediately started scouring the internet trying to find someone who had the parts in stock and could get them to me quickly. No luck. However, I did come across a post on a discussion board of someone with a similar problem and how they fixed it. I thought it was pretty ingenuous as the guy (Rob) simply flipped the cylinders around and applied reverse pressure to straighten them out (Rob's Post). What could be more simple?

Fixed Hydraulic Cylinders!

After work tonight I headed down to the barn with nothing to lose but perhaps gain back $1300. An hour later the cylinders were back to normal!
How lucky can I be? Tractor is back in business and I still have 24 hours to spare before the log package arrives! Things are really going to get busy around here ]]>http://www.cabinstartup.com/oh-no-worst-timing/feed/3Two Bedroom Designhttp://www.cabinstartup.com/two-bedroom-design/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/two-bedroom-design/#commentsSun, 29 Mar 2009 20:30:27 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=135In addition, we preferred the more executive-style of cabin, so we opted for more updated and modern, rather than rustic and old-fashioned. Since our target group is those on vacation with lots of down time, we leaned toward having a pool-table in the Great Room and a Jacuzzi on the deck. We loved taking advantage of the new pond that was built, and decided to have the back deck overlooking the woods and pond. This should make for a beautiful view to behold from the relaxing luxury of “the bubbler”.
As we like to fix at least some of our meals on our own even when we vacation, we determined that a kitchen was also a necessity. We, of course needed to offer one full bath for our clients, but we were really torn on whether or not to include a second bath on the second level. In the end we decided it would be nice, but not a necessity, and would take away too much room from the quaint loft space, and therefore, did not include a second bath in this first cabin’s floor plan. From there we reviewed several companies’ floor plans online and in books. But in the end, based on our past construction experience, we simply designed the floor plans ourselves.
So, in the end, we developed a simple 24X36 foot-print log home. One bedroom would be included on the first floor. The one full-bath was also included on the main floor, and we laid out the plumbing so that the kitchen area and bathroom plumbing could share a wall, to simplify the design, and save on costs. We did quite a bit of research to determine what size area would be needed for the pool table, in order for the guests to actually be able to enjoy playing on a full-size table, with ample wiggle room for those difficult shots. The open floor plan allows for eating, enjoying a game of pool, lounging in the family room watching TV, soaking in the warmth of a fireplace, or simply gazing out the back to enjoy God’s Creation only footsteps away!
After reviewing our layout, what are the pros and cons that you see? I am also curious to know, from a client perspective, how many people would actually rule out the cabin because it does not offer a second bath? Now view this from the owner's perspective, would you have included a bath on the second floor? What other luxuries do you think should be included in the cabin?]]>http://www.cabinstartup.com/two-bedroom-design/feed/1Blocking Up the Foundationhttp://www.cabinstartup.com/blocking-up-the-foundation/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/blocking-up-the-foundation/#respondThu, 12 Mar 2009 18:06:47 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=236

Shovel a ton by hand!

I knew better than to try to put in a foundation this time of year in southern Illinois, but for some reason I thought I could beat mother nature. But I was wrong, and am now paying the price.
No more did we get the footings dug and poured before the rain came and washed in a large amount of dirt, completely covering the new concrete footings. Feeling bad for the block layer that was scheduled to start Monday, I spent a fair amount of time Saturday uncovering the footings. That is AFTER I shoveled one ton of sand out of the back of my truck, to mix with the mortar. I should of known better, because it rained Sunday afternoon and undid all my hard work. Now with the footings wet and covered in mud again, the block layer (Maurice Taylor, of Taylor Made) had to wait until Tuesday to start.

View of the foundation in progress

Tuesday morning Maurice was finally able to get started laying block. However, mother nature was not done with us yet, as rain was expected later that afternoon and evening. Knowing that more rain was on its way, Maurice decide to go ahead and get a couple of courses laid around the entire perimeter, to prevent anyone from having to clear the footings again. I sure am glad he did this as it is back breaking work to keep scraping off the footings!

The block crew in action

I must say, I am amazed at how fast professionals can lay block, and really feel that hiring out this phase of work was the smartest decision. Maurice and Phil had all four corners blocked up and a majority of courses done before the end of the day. Two experienced professionals, like these guys, can complete this 24' by 36' foot print, 6 courses of block high, in one good, long day. In this case, there was no rush, and limited daylight, but they did have all four courners, and some courses set by noon! Over the years I have watched several accomplished DIY’ers stuggle with laying block. Remember, that laying block requires that you keep the blocks aligned in all three planes (X, Y, and Z). All of them that I know, spent excessive amounts of time measuring each block, burning entire days and sometimes weeks on a simple project. Professionals, in this case, crank out results quickly and effectively. I am not implying that a diehard DIY'er couldn't accomplish this, just that for me, it is worth the money to hire this part out.]]>http://www.cabinstartup.com/blocking-up-the-foundation/feed/0Laying Out the Foundationhttp://www.cabinstartup.com/laying-the-foundation/
http://www.cabinstartup.com/laying-the-foundation/#respondSat, 07 Mar 2009 04:16:39 +0000http://www.cabinstartup.com/?p=196

Down and Dirty

WOW! It sure has been a busy couple of weeks, but I finally got a second to catch my breath and write a little about what has been going on.

Cabin Staked-out, Dug, and Concrete Footings Are Poured!

A little over a week ago I was able to get the foundation all staked out and dug on the very same day. Thank goodness for good neighbors, as we dug a couple of hours past dark to get the job done in a single day. Early the next morning Carrie, my friend Lester, and I poured the concrete footings. I needed to get the concrete trucks in and out of the job site before the morning sun had a chance to thaw the ground, so at 6:30 AM the first truck arrived. Since they are just footings and I am having the foundation blocked, no fancy flat work was needed and we could get away with just striking them off with a board. It is a good thing these will just be buried, because getting a beautiful concrete finish is an art, and best left to professionals!

Log Home Show in Nashville

Having three young children does prevent, or at least put a damper, on those quick trips out of town we use to do. So when Carrie's mother offered to do a sleep over with the kids the night of the Nashville Log Home Show, we jumped on it. Being kid free for a night is somewhat bitter sweet. I really miss the kids, but it was nice to be able to take in a little of the Nashville night life with the wife the evening before the show.
The Log Home Show was good. There were many log home companies there, several that I have not even heard of, and of course many of the big names were there in force. I was impressed with all the non-log home vendors also. Since we had already decided on a log company to work with, we were focused on all the supporting stuff like interior and exterior log stains, SIPs panels (Structural Insulated Panels), etc. And as an amatuer woodworker, it was fun to look at all the log furniture and lodge-themed decor. I have to say, if I was a new buyer thinking of buying a log home, a show is no place to start your research. Way too many sales people there, and I think you would get overwhelmed very quickly.

Block Foundation Starting Monday (3/9/09)

Last Monday my block layer called and said that he could start laying block the following Monday (March 9, 2009), if I could get all the needed materials at the site before then. So, Carrie and I have spent most of the week running around picking up blocks and mortar. I still need to pick up sand tomorrow. That should be fun; I get to shovel over a ton of sand by hand! YIKES! I am a little worried, as we got some rain this past week that has caused the dirt surrounding the footings to cave-in and cover them up with mud. If I get time this weekend I want shovel them off a little before the block guys show up on Monday.